Armed with technologies that give them on-the-go access to a world of information, day or night, people today expect fast, smart and responsive service from the companies they do business with. And if they don’t get it, they’ll take their business elsewhere — and fast, according to new research from customer relationship management (CRM) giant Salesforce.
Based on responses from 2,600 customer service professionals across the globe, Salesforce’s second annual “State of Service” report identifies four key trends driving the customer experiences expected from companies today.
These trends include a new, company-wide focus on customer experience; an expanding range of tools and technologies for customer service agents; a new view of customer service as an opportunity for sales rather than as a cost center; and the growing use of artificial intelligence and other smart technologies to provide more “human” interactions with customers.
Such changes are helping customers and service professionals alike to become more knowledgeable and more empowered in the decisions they make, according to the Salesforce report. And companies that make the most of these trends are gaining competitive advantages, while companies that don’t risk falling behind.
Customers Expect Service Consistency
“Customer experience has become the defining line between companies that grow and companies that fall behind,” Adam Blitzer, Salesforce’s executive vice president and general manager of sales and service clouds, said in a statement accompanying the release of the report.
In fact, customer service today is no longer just confined to a company’s customer service team, the report noted. Every part of a business, from service and sales to marketing and beyond, plays a role in the customer experience, and the highest-performing organizations are those that do this best.
“High performers are more focused on improving service and support through enterprise collaboration,” according to the Salesforce report, which added…